If there is one room in your home that you dread to enter, it’s probably your kids’ room! You wish you had a magical genie arising out of a lamp, who would magically clean and de-clutter your kids’ room for you? Well, that’s wishful thinking. In reality, the real genie is going to be you – the parent, and your child is the genie’s little helper. How cool will it be, if you can make your child your cleaning partner? Here is the big secret behind a clutter-free kids’ room.
You may ask, what is the secret to a clean and clutter-free Kids’ room? Well, there is no ONE secret solution for that. In fact, it’s a combination of different strategies and solutions that the parent has to figure out. Here are some of the surefire tips and tricks that worked wonders for me as a parent and it still works for me. Whatever the age of your child, you can make them your de-clutter partner.
Start involving the kids early
One of the best solutions for a clean kids’ room is to start involving the kids in the cleaning process from a very young age. I started involving my daughter from the time she turned 2 ½ – 3 years old. Children are the best imitators and when they see a parent picking up a toy/book (after play) and put it back in its place, the children start imitating this behavior as well. Thus, it is very easy to organically teach children to keep their things in place from a young age.
Make cleaning interesting and fun
After play time, or sometimes in the evening when the play room is cluttered, I would sing these lines (to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down)
It’s time to put the toys away
Toys away, toys away,
It’s time to put the toys away
Put them away for another day…..
It’s time to put the books in its place
Books in its place, books in its place,
It’s time to put the books in its place
Put them away for another day…..
You can add your own lyrics to this as well.
While singing, I would start cleaning the place and sorting the toys (in front of my daughter). 99% of the time, my daughter would imitate me and help. Then make this a routine. Every time you take a toy – put it back in its place (the place from where is was taken from). This is also an excellent strategy for transition.
For older and bigger kids, count till 5 – 10. At each count, you can ask them to pick one toy and place it in its place. You could also fix a timer or play your child’s favorite song and assign the task of cleaning a small area or putting 10 toys in its’ place. This is a challenge and the Kids will surely be thrilled to be doing this challenge.
Strategic placement of toys / books
This works with the little kids as well. Always place the books or toys and their storage baskets at the child’s eye level or lower. This gives a chance for the child to access it better. One added advantage is that they can easily put the toys away by themselves if you place the storage baskets on the ground level.
Every toy has a home
For a child (aged 0-6 years), every toy is a real person. So, talk to the child in the way they understand. You can say, “Just like how you have a home, your Mr….. toy has a home to live in. After playing with him/her we put him back into his home”. Show your child where her toys “live” (inside which basket or place). By doing this, the kids now know where everything goes.
Always work with the Kids
This is the most important strategy. Always clean the kids’ room when the kids are present (of course in their rooms). Don’t clean their room when they are away. You can chat with you kid while you are cleaning. You can ask genuine questions like the name of the toy, favorite book, etc… The kids will love that the parent is paying attention to their favorite toy. This way, the kids will surely become partners in the cleaning process. No force is required.
Involve kids in decision making
Usually, when you start de-cluttering your kids’ room, its best to ask them to choose what must stay and what must go away. This way the parent knows what toys/ books/ clothes are dear to their children. This way you are building a trust with your child.
Follow a routine to de-clutter
This is the #1 tip for a clutter-free room. Set a routine and go through all the clothes/ toys/ books. If you haven’t used any stuff for more than 6 – 8 months, then think about donating them or trashing them. Conduct this periodic check just before birthdays, Christmas, or summer holidays. This is the best time for de-cluttering and arranging new things in order.
Less is more
There are too many choices, too much stuff, and too little time for the children to play with their toys in their room. As a result, the children are stressed and confused with their play items. Instead, Limit the number of toys/pieces of stuff you buy for the children. International author, Kim John Payne advocates this idea in his book “Simplicity Parenting”. He says, that less will help in raising calmer and happier children.
Allot time in their daily / Weekly rhythm
For bigger children (7 – 12 years), cleaning or arranging the room can be a part of their weekly or daily routine. When you constantly clean on a weekly/ daily basis, the room is always clean and tidy. Simple tasks can be allotted every day according to the age of the child.
Lead by example
Finally, the Kids mirror what their parents are doing. If you want your Kids’ Room to be clean and neat, then always keep your room tidy. Always be aware that the children are watching you and keep your personal space neat and tidy. Let the children know that you have a routine that you follow, to clean your room.
These are some of the simple do-able strategies and the big secret behind a clutter-free kids’ room. Looking forward to reading your tips and tricks for a clutter-free room. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. You can always like our page and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Wonderful ideas, Vaishnavi!